What Got You Here Might Not Get You There
Birthdays have always been natural checkpoints for me as an annual reminder to pause, reflect, and look ahead (mine is this week). What did I experience this year? Learn? What's working? What no longer fits? What's possible?
One theme I consider every year is the tension between holding on to what's worked and pushing the limits to dare to see possibilities in a new light and/or try new approaches. (Of course, these types of considerations aren't limited to once a year. This simply acts as a great moment for an annual review.)
Will what got you here get you there?
We often rely on strategies, habits, and mindsets that once served us well. Maybe it's the systems you put in place to get your first clients, the leadership style that carried your team through growth, or the personal discipline that helped you build credibility.
But here's the truth: Those very things that got you here might be the reason you feel stuck now. Growth requires different muscles. Comfort zones, even successful ones, eventually cap us.
When I reflect, I see places where my old ways of thinking and working reached their limit. With curiosity, I invited in different perspectives, and often, shifted my mindset and actions.
The 'why not?' mindset
A question that helps to break up old ways of thinking and being is 'why not?'. For example: 'why not give that a try?' or 'why not me?'.
It's not an invitation to throw caution to the wind or act recklessly. Instead, it's about being open and permitting yourself to explore opportunities you might normally decline out of habit, fear, or overthinking.
When I’ve leaned into 'why not?' consideration, whether by testing a new idea, collaborating with someone unexpected, or simply saying 'yes' to a different way of doing things, I’ve found possibility, growth, and joy I wouldn't have otherwise.
Your turn
As you think ahead, ask yourself these questions:
What habits, strategies, or assumptions of mine are outdated?
What opportunities might open by asking 'why not?' and leading with more curiosity than certainty?
Sometimes growth is less about a massive overhaul and more about a simple shift: retiring the mindset that's holding you back and trying on one that invites you forward.
And maybe, just maybe, the best gift you can give yourself is the chance to see what happens when you do.